Reality TV Star and Ex-Partner Battle for Custody in Utah Court

SALT LAKE CITY -- Attorneys for Taylor Frankie Paul, a reality TV star from "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," and the father of her 2-year-old son will present dueling petitions for protective orders against each other Thursday in a case that could determine who gets custody of their child. Both Paul and her former partner, Dakota Mortensen, have asked a Utah court to turn short-term protective orders into long-term arrangements as the two have accused each other of domestic violence. Third District Court Commissioner Russell Minas said at an April 7 hearing that he had "concerns going both ways" about the competing allegations. For now, Paul cannot spend unsupervised time with her son because of a history of volatile behavior directed at Mortensen while kids were present, Minas ruled. Paul and Mortensen, whose tumultuous relationship was featured heavily on the show, have been ordered to stay at least 100 feet (30 meters) away from each other until the hearing Thursday afternoon. Both were expected in person after attending the previous hearing virtually, a court spokesperson said. Eleven fights between the exes were under examination in their protective order requests. A recently leaked video of one fight from 2023 prompted ABC to make the unprecedented move last month of shelving an already-filmed season of "The Bachelorette" starring Paul. Hulu also paused production of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" and resumed filming last week. In the video, Paul appeared to punch, kick and throw chairs at Mortensen while her daughter watched and cried. Paul was charged with aggravated assault and other offenses, including domestic violence in the presence of a child. The police body camera footage of her arrest was featured in the first season of the Hulu series. Paul pleaded guilty to an assault charge, which will be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor if she stays out of legal trouble for a three-year probationary period that ends in August. The other counts were dismissed. Earlier this month, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office declined to file new charges against Paul in recent fights with Mortensen. Any new charges would have violated Paul's probation from the 2023 assault. The lack of prosecution could help Paul and her attorneys make her case to the court commissioner as she fights to regain custody of her son. A protective order in Utah can restrict or eliminate a parent's ability to see their child. When one parent receives a protective order against the other, a court commissioner may also decide it is in the child's best interest give that parent custody. If both parents have protective orders against each other, the court relies heavily on the recommendations of an attorney appointed to investigate the child's best interests. Paul and Mortensen's son, Ever, will have a court-appointed attorney present at Thursday's hearing to help the commissioner determine the safest arrangement for the boy. The lawyer, Michael McDonald, said during the April 7 hearing that he had concerns about Paul's tendency to fight with Mortensen in front of their son. Eric Swinyard, a lawyer for Paul, has argued that Mortensen is the aggressor in the relationship. He showed photos in court of Paul's bruises after a fight in a truck in which Paul alleges Mortensen slammed her head into the dashboard. Daniela Diaz, a lawyer for Mortensen, described other altercations between the pair and argued that Paul uses their son "as a pawn to start fights."